The Blog

Tis the season to make sure that the only post-festive guilt is mince pie-related, and not a scary amount of black bin liners on Boxing Day. Here are our top tips for a sustainable Christmas >

Be eco with your wrapping paper
Did you know that regular patterned wrapping paper can’t be recyled – pretty sad right? There are bags of alternatives though – Food waste pioneers Olio, share four eco wrapping hacks – which cater to every ability!

Choose recycled Christmas cards
Every year over 200,000 trees get cut down to make Christmas cards. Make sure yours are made from recycled paper. They needn’t cost you an arm and a leg either – there’s a multibuy here, which is in line with supermarket prices – hurrah!

Eat less, but better meat
If you’re concerned about your environmental impact, then eating less, but better meat has to be top of your to-do list. Swap the ham, the pigs in blankets, and the sausage stuffing for veggie trimmings, and splash your meat budget on a high-welfare, locally-reared, free-range turkey – the best you can afford. Not only will you be reducing your environmental impact, and making a healthier choice, but you’ll also tuck in guilt-free, knowing that your turkey had a good life before it became your dinner.

Put leftover turkey to good useBBC Good Food to the rescue here – they’ve come up with over 10 genuinely original, easy and tasty ideas to use up leftover turkey. If all else fails, then good ol’ turkey curry is always a crowd-pleaser.

Donate your excess food
To your local food bank, homeless shelter, or food cycle scheme. It’s a great time of year to clear out your kitchen cupboards, so make sure that any (in date) food is being put to good use.

Do something different with your decks
Ditch the plastic fantastic tinsel, and go for some of these more natural options instead. We love this orange slice and cinnamon stick garland idea (bet it smells lovely too!) or for the more seasoned crafter, give these paper balls a go.

Avoid gifts that need batteries
Eventually, they may end up in landfill, where they leak toxic metals into the ground. Did you know that around 40% of battery sales are over the festive season?

Shop locally
Hit your local this Christmas – whether it’s the high street, artists’ market, butcher, baker, greengrocer or pub, you’ll not only be supporting the businesses on your doorstep (which is feelgood factor in itself) but you’ll also spend less time in the car – hooray!